City of Johannesburg - continued poor service

<p>We recently moved to a house from a complex so are dealing directly with City of Johannesburg and not through managing agents. What a nightmare.</p> <p> </p> <p>For the first few months I could not get a bill in time and kept getting threatened with being shut off. I asked repeatedly for bills to be e-mailed to me because the post meant I got the bills a month late. Only when I registered on eServices and did it myself did I start receiving bills via e-mail on time. I also subsequently got charged for a pre-termination notice, regardless of the fact I had made several requests to have it e-mailed to me. When I asked for a refund, I was told that I had to visit a CoJ office to do this, it could not be done over the phone.</p> <p>In May this year I logged a support call because the water shut off valve outside my property does not isolate the water flow to my property. I was given a ref number and told it would be taken care of. Months later, I called to find an update on this and was told that the shut of valve outside is NOT for me to use, I must install a valve inside my property for me to use. Only CoJ can use that valve outside. Question, how do I install a valve if I can't shut off the water to install a valve?? </p> <p>I have also been receiving 'estimated' water readings every month since I moved in despite a lady (who I've even met and spoken with) coming around each month to manually take these readings. These 'estimates' vary between 35 and 66KL per month. That's between one and two swimming pools for two adults and a small child. Now, with the increased tarrifs due to the drought conditions, the increase in water charges are close to R1000 extra each month. I am told to pay it and submit my readings so that they can refund me. Then when I call to give them the reading, I'm told the system is not working and I must call back tomorrow. When I called back 5 mins later, the next operator took the reading no problem at all and they said the system was fine.</p> <p> </p> <p>I do not know how we pay the bill each month and get such ******* service. Then to make it worse, if you don't pay, they charge you to tell you they're going to cut you off and then cut you off and charge you to re-connect you, even if it's because they could not inform you of your bill in time....and then an elevated bill on top of that. </p> <p> </p> <p>If this is a 'world-class African city' we are in big trouble, I'm fast losing faith in Joburg's ability to deliver anything but sub standard African city services...</p>